Car-fender



{No Model.)

' H.'D. GARDY.

GAR FENDER.

No. 561,218. Patented June 2 1896.

I oqbzoruz/ey UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY D. GARDY, OF CHESTER, PENNSYLVANIA.

CAR-FEN DER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 561,218, dated June 2, 1896.

Application filed September 18, 1895. Serial No. 562,859. (No model.)

- To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY D. GARDY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chester, in the county of Delaware and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Oar-Fenders, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a new and useful improvement in car-fenders, and has for its object to provide such a device that will automatically pick up a person when coming in contact therewith and retain said person with certainty upon the netting, and which will also follow the curve of the track and offer but little resistance when striking a person.

With these ends in view the invention consists in the details of construction and combination of elements hereinafter set forth, and then specifically designated by the claims.

In order that those skilled in the art to which this invention appertains may understand how to make and use the same, I will describe its construction and operation in detail, referring by number to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and in which- Figure 1 represents one end of a car, showin g myimproved fender attached thereto; and Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same.

Similar numerals denote like parts in the views of the drawings.

1 is a frame composed of a strip of metal approximately rectangular and curved downward, so as to form a concave. This frame is pivoted at 2 to a suitable band 3, secured to the dashboard 4., and the coiled springs 5, connected to said frame and the ends of the dashboard, serve to keep this frame normally in line with the axis of the car. In suitable extensions 6 of the frame 1 are journaled the trundle-rolls 7, flanged so as to travel upon the rails of the track, whereby the outer end of the fender is maintained at the proper relative distance from the road-bed.

8 are a number of small antifriction-rolls, suitably placed between the extensions 6, so that when coming in contact with a person they will turn upon their axes, thus renderin g the blow less severe, and also should these rolls come in contact with projections in the road-bed they would assist in lifting the fender over such projections, and as each works independent of the other all are not put in motion when coming in contact with an obstruction, which greatly reduces friction.

9 is a wire or other netting stretched upon the frame 1, as shown in Fig. 2, and 10 are also nettings, extending downward from either side of the frame and held in position by suitable strips 11 to prevent a person from falling under the fender.

One of the greatest difficulties in fenders now in use is that after persons have been picked up and thrust upon the fender they are liable to roll off or become excited and in their struggle fall off, when they may be crushed by the car; but I avoid this difficulty by placing a catch-frame upon the upper side of the fender, composed of coiled springs, as shown. Over the center of the fender I form a semicircle by the use of the coiled spring 12, whose two ends are drawn in straight lines and attached to the upper edge of the frame 1. This semicircle is maintained by a number of radial springs 14, attached thereto and to different points upon the fender-frame 1, and as the netting of the fender is concave, as shown in Fig. 1, these springs form a pocket between themselves and said netting, so thata person falling upon the fender will slip beneath these coiled springs and within the pocket, whereby they will be retained upon the fender. Another advantage of these coiled springs is that in falling thereon the force of the fall is broken before the person reaches the netting, thus preventing injury to the person.

In passing around a curve the trundle-rolls 7 are permitted to follow the track by the resiliency of the springs 5, and yet the frame is returned to its normal position, even though the rolls 7 should by accident leave the rails. This will avoid the annoyance of having to stop the car and place the fender again upon the track should it jump the rails by accident.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and useful is- V 1. In a device of the character described, a frame, a wire netting arranged thereon in a manner to produce a concaved surface, and a coil-spring arranged to form a circular open space through which a person may fail and radial springs for holding the coil-spring in position, for the purpose described.

2. In a ear-fender, a frame carrying netting, a coil-spring having its ends attached to the rear of the frame and {L series of radial wires leading from the coil-spring to the frame whereby an inelosul-e is formed above the netting, for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto :tf- 1o fixed my signature in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HENRY D. GARDY.

\Vitnesses:

S. S. WILLIAMSON, CHARLES PALMER. 

